We have developed an effusive laser photodissociation radical source, aiming for the production of vibrationally relaxed radicals. Employing this radical source, we have measured the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photoionization efficiency (PIE) spectrum of the propargyl radical (C{sub 3}H{sub 3}) formed by the 193 nm excimer laser photodissociation of propargyl chloride in the energy range of 8.5-9.9 eV using high-resolution (energy bandwidth=1 meV) multibunch synchrotron radiation. The VUV-PIE spectrum of C{sub 3}H{sub 3} thus obtained is found to exhibit pronounced autoionization features, which are tentatively assigned as members of two vibrational progressions of C{sub 3}H{sub 3} in excited autoionizing Rydberg states.more » The ionization energy (IE=8.674{+-}0.001 eV) of C{sub 3}H{sub 3} determined by a small steplike feature resolved at the photoionization onset of the VUV-PIE spectrum is in excellent agreement with the IE value reported in a previous pulsed field ionization-photoelectron study. We have also calculated the Franck-Condon factors (FCFs) for the photoionization transitions C{sub 3}H{sub 3}{sup +}(X-tilde;{nu}{sub i},i=1-12)<-C{sub 3}H{sub 3}(X-tilde). The comparison between the pattern of FCFs and the autoionization peaks resolved in the VUV-PIE spectrum of C{sub 3}H{sub 3} points to the conclusion that the resonance-enhanced autoionization mechanism is most likely responsible for the observation of pronounced autoionization features. We also present here the VUV-PIE spectra for the mass 39 ions observed in the VUV synchrotron-based photoionization mass spectrometric sampling of several premixed flames. The excellent agreement of the IE value and the pattern of autoionizing features of the VUV-PIE spectra observed in the photodissociation and flames studies has provided an unambiguous identification of the propargyl radical as an important intermediate in the premixed combustion flames. The discrepancy found between the PIE spectra obtained in flames and photodissociation at energies above the IE(C{sub 3}H{sub 3}) suggests that the PIE spectra obtained in flames might have contributions from the photoionization of vibrationally excited C{sub 3}H{sub 3} and/or the dissociative photoionization processes involving larger hydrocarbon species formed in flames.« less

The absolute photoionization cross-section of the methyl radical has been measured using two completely independent methods. The CH{sub 3} photoionization cross-section was determined relative to that of acetone and methyl vinyl ketone at photon energies of 10.2 and 11.0 eV by using a pulsed laser-photolysis/time-resolved synchrotron photoionization mass spectrometry method. The time-resolved depletion of the acetone or methyl vinyl ketone precursor and the production of methyl radicals following 193 nm photolysis are monitored simultaneously by using time-resolved synchrotron photoionization mass spectrometry. Comparison of the initial methyl signal with the decrease in precursor signal, in combination with previously measured absolute photoionizationmore » cross-sections of the precursors, yields the absolute photoionization cross-section of the methyl radical; {sigma}{sub CH}(10.2 eV) = (5.7 {+-} 0.9) x 10{sup -18} cm{sup 2} and {sigma}{sub CH{sub 3}}(11.0 eV) = (6.0 {+-} 2.0) x 10{sup -18} cm{sup 2}. The photoionization cross-section for vinyl radical determined by photolysis of methyl vinyl ketone is in good agreement with previous measurements. The methyl radical photoionization cross-section was also independently measured relative to that of the iodine atom by comparison of ionization signals from CH{sub 3} and I fragments following 266 nm photolysis of methyl iodide in a molecular-beam ion-imaging apparatus. These measurements gave a cross-section of (5.4 {+-} 2.0) x 10{sup -18} cm{sup 2} at 10.460 eV, (5.5 {+-} 2.0) x 10{sup -18} cm{sup 2} at 10.466 eV, and (4.9 {+-} 2.0) x 10{sup -18} cm{sup 2} at 10.471 eV. The measurements allow relative photoionization efficiency spectra of methyl radical to be placed on an absolute scale and will facilitate quantitative measurements of methyl concentrations by photoionization mass spectrometry.« less